BALTIMORE – With every pitch carrying grave importance, Joe Torre said it was simple to name Aaron Small as Thursday night’s starter against the Orioles instead of Jaret Wright.

“We feel he pitched better in the last game,” Torre said. “That’s what it’s based on. We had to make a decision and we reversed the roles.”

On Saturday at Yankee Stadium, Wright gave up seven runs (three earned) and six hits in one-plus innings to the Blue Jays in a 7-4 loss. Small surfaced from the bullpen and provided 6 2/3 innings of scoreless relief in which he allowed four hits.

For the second straight game and the third time since coming off the DL, Wright was hit in the upper body in his last start. This time a Gregg Zaun shot him in the chest. However, while Torre and Wright admitted the area was still sore, the manager said he didn’t wait to ask Wright about the soreness.

“We made the decision before we did that,” Torre said. “I told (Wright), ‘He pitched better than you the last time out and we are here to win games.'”

Wright understood.

“I am a big team guy,” said Wright, who is 5-4 with a 5.97 ERA. “Whatever is in the best interest of the team, I am on board with that. The goal is to win.”

While Wright was signed to be one of the Yankees’ five starters, he has bullpen experience. He made 39 relief appearances for the 2003 Padres and 11 more for the Braves.

“Anytime they give me the ball they are showing confidence in me and it’s a good feeling,” said Small, who is 9-0 with a 3.25 ERA in 14 games (eight starts).

Prior to the stellar relief outing, Small turned in his worst start of the season on Sept. 20 against the Orioles. In five innings he allowed four runs and 10 hits.

*

One look at Bernie Williams’ 0-for-15 stretch against Orioles starter Rodrigo Lopez was good enough for Torre to sit Williams last night.

“There are only three strikeouts, but it doesn’t look like he is sees the ball real well,” Torre said of Williams, who experienced an emotional day Sunday at Yankee Stadium. “There are players in the clubhouse saying he has “Lopezitis.”

*

Torre started Ruben Sierra in right for the eighth time this year and used Bubba Crosby in center for the 12th time.